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The Valle Crucis Day School (VCDS)
was founded in 1982 by a group of parents who needed a quality child care
center located in rural western Watauga County. They began in the Episcopal
Mission hay barn which they cleaned, painted and otherwise renovated to
bring up to code. VCDS was licensed as a AA childcare center, incorporated,
and filed for non-profit status in 1995. After 16 years, they lost their
lease. With A USDA loan, they purchased a house to convert to a daycare.
They spent $25,000 renovating that building to meet new EPA standards for
child care centers. Unfortunately, problems with meeting state standards
for water forced them to sell the building to pay off the USDA loan.
The VCDS temporarily closed
in August, 2003 because no appropriate space was available for immediate
lease to continue to provide affordable child care. A new Board of
Directors, formed in October, 2003, identified appropriate space in the
Historic Cove Creek School, a rock building from the WPA-era that had been
saved from destruction by an organization devoted to preserve the structure,
Cove Creek Preservation & Development, Inc. (CCP&D). First floor space
(3,780 sq ft), the media center when the school was in operation, was
identified as ideal for a day care center. An architect prepared the plans
according to the Environmental Rating Scale for child care centers. The
occupant of that space, Jung Tao School, agreed to move their operations to
the second floor so the daycare could occupy first floor space.
A contractor estimated the
cost of renovations at $39,000. Brian Crutchfield of Blue Ridge Electric
Membership Cooperative (BREMCO) was contacted to enlist his support. He
approached the BREMCO Board of Directors who, in December 2003, loaned VCDS
$35,000 at no interest with a 3 year payback beginning in 2005. In
conjunction with CCP&D, VCDS was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Cannon
Foundation to start the process of developing a water system that would meet
state standards. With these 2 major contributions, the renovation project
was initiated on January 26, 2004 and completed for reopening on June 1,
2005 at a total cost approaching $100,000.
Community &
Volunteer Participation:
-
Cove Creek Preservation & Development (CCP&D) agreed to lease
3,780 sq ft in the Historic Cove Creek School to VCDS for $500/month for
2004, $600/month for 2005, and $700/month in 2006 ($5.40/sq f/month).
- The Cannon
Foundation provided $25,000 jointly to VCDS & CCP&D to drill new wells and
find a suitable water source.
- Blue Ridge
Membership Cooperative (BREMCO) loaned $35,000 at no interest with payback
beginning in 2005 so renovation could begin. The BREMCO loan money was
used to purchase supplies and to pay for licensed labor: plumbing and
electrical work.
- Several hundred
dollars worth of building supplies were donated by local building supply
businesses. Thousands of hours of volunteer labor built walls, installed
sheet rock, rebuilt the stage, stained wood, painted walls, built the
fence around the playground, did the landscaping, and are building the
playground equipment.
- The Waggoner
Foundation provided $4,000 toward tile and carpet.
- The Lovett
Foundation provided $5,000 for special plumbing fixtures for little
children that enabled making the final payment to the General Contractor
who had completed the work but patiently waited for several months for
final payment.
- The Janirve
Foundation provided $25,000 to CCP&D to fund the water chlorination system
and storage tank AND $45,000 to SGDDS to fund much of the renovation
costs.
- Skyline Telephone
Membership Corp. loaned $25,000 at no interest to purchase the materials
to finish the playground.
- High Country United Way
funded SGDDS with $8,000 in 2006-7 to enable providing full-time staff
with health insurance.
- An active Parents
Group participates in “work days” at the daycare and helps with
fundraising.
- Our very dedicated
teachers, many with degrees in early childhood education, work for a
minimal wage, much less than they would make in the public school system
(Director: $23,000, Lead Teachers: $9.00/hr, Asst. Teachers: $7.50/hr,
Teacher Aides: $6.50/hr.).
- The bookkeeper and
grant writing performs these functions as a volunteer.
- The Marion Stedman
Covington Foundation provided a $7,500 matching grant to replace the
windows in the daycare. Matching funds were provided by the Lovett
Foundation of Winston-Salem ($3,750), Skyline Telephone Membership
Corporation ($1,250), Church of the Holy Cross – Valle Fair ($1,000), Walmart ($500), Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation ($500),
Mountaineer Ruritan ($500), and Mast General Store ($250).
- The Edwin F. Troutman and
Family Foundation provided $1,500 toward purchasing classroom supplies.
- Norma Murphy, area artist,
held a fund-raising art sale that raised nearly $500 in donations for art
supplies.
- Skyline Membership Corp.
contributed $853 from community funds to help with general operations.
- The Build-A-Bear Foundation
grant of $2,000 will help SGDDS initiate the Creative Curriculum program
in our classrooms.
- Several donors provided
funds to send our Lead Teachers and administrative staff to the NYCEAYC
conference in Greensboro in September 2007: E.R. James, Steve &
Patti Ryan, Ruben & Rhina Garcia, Harrison Stern, Leo Mast, Benjamin Mast,
Len & Betty Cornett
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